Former Chant Sarah Lockett To Coach Team Australia

CONWAY, S.C. – Former Coastal Carolina softball standout and current Kennesaw State assistant coach Sarah Lockett will have the opportunity to coach at the highest level of international competition this summer, as she was selected to the staff of the Australian National Team on Wednesday.

Lockett will coach her fellow Australians in the Canadian Open Fastpitch International Women’s Championship in Vancouver and the World Cup of Softball in Oklahoma City, both in July.

Lockett, who is originally from Perth, Australia, has extensive experience playing in international competition, as she was a part of Australia’s national team from 1998-2002 and then competed with Great Britain from 2003-06. She played collegiately at Coastal from 1999-01 and garnered Big South Most Valuable Player honors in her final season. Lockett finished her collegiate career at Kennesaw State in 2002, earning NCAA Division II All-American honors. The former infielder has been on the Owls’ coaching staff for the last three seasons.

“It is an honor and a privilege to have the chance to coach in international competition after having competed at that level during my playing career,” Lockett said. “These two events feature some of the best national teams in the world, and it will be a great challenge to coach against teams of that caliber.”

The Canadian Open Fastpitch International Women’s Championship will take place July 9-17, and features five of the top six-ranked teams in the world in Team Australia, Team USA, Team Japan, Team Canada and Team Venezuela. Lockett and her squad will then travel to Oklahoma City to compete in the World Cup, which is slated to take place July 21-25 at the ASA Hall of Fame Softball Complex, the site of the Women’s College World Series. That event will feature equally tough competition, as Australia will vie for the title with the Czech Republic, Japan, Canada, Great Britain and USA.

Lockett will serve on the Team Australia staff under head coach Kere Johanson, who coached Lockett during her playing days at various levels. Her participation this summer will make her the second member of the Owls coaching staff to have experience coaching a national team. Owls head coach Scott Whitlock helped coach Team USA from 2005-08.

“Any time you have the chance to serve a program that represents your country, it’s an experience that really can’t be put into words,” Whitlock said. “It’s a terrific honor for Sarah. She takes pride in her country, and she takes pride in what she’s accomplished as a softball player and coach. We’re all very proud to see her get this opportunity.”